China-Laos Railway is cutting journey times and raising living standards

Economic boost

The railway brings more tourists to Luang Prabang, said Soudaphone Khomthavong, head of the media, culture and tourism bureau of Luang Prabang province, adding that it has already boosted transportation, investment, logistics and tourism in Laos, and will continue to do so.

Data from the bureau show that since the railway opened, about 85 percent of tourists have opted to take the train from Vientiane to Luang Prabang.

"Laotian people and tourists from other countries find it easier to visit Luang Prabang by train," Khomthavong said, adding that she hoped the cross-border railway link would bring more Chinese tourists back to Luang Prabang.

"Before the (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Luang Prabang ranked number one or two, but it has fallen to number nine," she said in April.